This post has turned out to be a much larger Bogota street art gallery than I had expected, despite the fact that I have only included pieces from outside Candelaria, the old part of Colombia’s Capital. I will leave this more popular historic centre for a second street art gallery from Bogotá.

You can find outstanding street art all over Bogotá, Colombia’s capital. This gallery concentrates on murals we explored outside of the city centre.

The street art scene in Colombia is very alive and diverse. Street art has been de-criminalised in Colombia and Bogotá, in particular, attracts a quite a lot of international street artists, who leave their mark on the city’s walls.

The reason I am concentrating on murals outside the tourist part of the city is simple: I want to encourage you to venture out and keep your eyes open! To give you an orientation, I have included specific locations in each street art photo description.

But you will be forgiven if you cannot find each and every piece shown in this gallery. First of all, some pieces won’t be around indefinitely, as they are on walls surrounding sites destined for new construction work.

Other murals will have deteriorated and lost their appeal, so street artists might simply paint over them. In the very short time we spent in Bogota, we witnessed five new pieces in the making and one being completely repainted – and we didn’t even go out that frequently!

The bright colours of this new piece on Avenida Medellin (south side, somewhere between Carrera 86 and 72) caught our attention the day we arrived in Bogotá. Here it’s still very unfinished, but a week later we came past it again.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

More detail of this street art piece on Avenida Medellin in Bogota.

I love the detail of the monochrome face shading against the really colourful masks.

A close-up of the street artist working.

Look at the detail of each feather. Who can say that street art isn’t art?

It’s a shame that we never got to see the fully completed picture!

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

We stumbled upon this street artist at work in the middle of a busy pedestrian street in Bogotá.

A week later and this beautiful face already has a deep scar (scratch)…

A new mural being painted on a Sunday on the street facing wall of a school on Carrera 7.

New street art going onto a street facing wall of a school on Carrera 7.

But that’s all part of the fun when you go out to explore a city for its street art! It’s an ever evolving scene, with new outstanding murals popping up in the most unexpected locations.

A little Spanish knowledge might help you to understand the messages included in many murals. Often they refer back to Colombia’s violent past or the current state of government. The more you know about the country’s politics the better you will understand the messages told through street art.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

Eye-catching street art as advertising for a photography and fashion school. Three storeys high, where Calle 32 joins with Carrera 7.

This street art piece commemorates Luis Alejandro Concha (please google), a victim of police brutality. It won’t be around for much longer as this block on the corner of Calle 19 and Carrera 5 is being developed.

I believe this piece is somewhere on Carrera 19 – it’s a protest against animal testing and medical science.

A colourful graffiti on Calle 24 near Carrera 10.

This piece by “Stinkfish”, an internationally recognised Colombian street artist, is on Carrera 7 (probably near Calle 40).

On the corner of Calle 31 with Carrera 7

A shop front, I believe on Carrera 7: we make peace for them (the children).

I love the message of this stencil art mural on Calle 31. It was done by the German street artist Super8.

A colourful underpass somewhere on the outskirts of Bogota’s north.

Corner Calle 45 with Carrera 25: the west section of this long mural wall around a college.

Corner Calle 45 with Carrera 25: another part of a long mural wall around a college, this one depicting a sea turtle.

Corner Calle 45 with Carrera 25: another part of a long mural wall around a college, this one depicting polar bears and penguins.

Corner Calle 45 with Carrera 25: the east corner of this long mural wall around a college.

Corner Calle 45 with Carrera 25: the far end of the eastern mural wall around a college.

Corner Calle 45 with Carrera 25: part of eastern mural wall around a college. Dense trees make it impossible to photograph the full wall.

One place to visit for street art is Avenida 26, the main road towards the airport. Be cautious in some places – it’s not the most salubrious part of Bogota.

The left most part of a large street art collaboration along Calle 26.

The middle section of the same large street art collaboration along Calle 26 – protesting against environmental damage done for short-term profits.

The far right of the same street art collaboration along Calle 26.

This mural along Calle 26 symbolises that people of different race and heritage form one nation of Colombia.

Also on the wall of the Cemeterio Alemán: a map showing locations of street art murals in this part of town.

The left side of the wall surrounding the Cemeterio Alemán on Calle 26.

On the wall of the Cemeterio Alemán on Calle 26: a classic Renault 4. It’s an iconic vehicle in Colombia, but this mural is in memory of a painting tour 3 street artists made around the country.

4,150,000 victims, forcibly displaced by the violent terrorist activities in Colombia – a mural in their memory on Calle 26.

It was difficult to photograph this assembly of street art walls on Calle 26.

Another new piece of street art on Avenida 26, which wasn’t quite finished when we were staying in Bogotá:

A new long street art wall in the making (December 2017), west of the Cemeterio Alemán on Calle 26. “La Valor de una Palabra” = The value of a word.

You must admire the guys painting such intricate patterns with rollers on long poles.

A close-up of the guys working with paint rollers on long poles.

This street art wall is so long that it’s near impossible to photograph.

To the north of Av.26 is the suburb of Armenia, where we rented an apartment. It’s an old suburb, slightly run down, but considered safe.

The eyes of a native boy in black and white, corner of Avenida Caracas with Calle 30. This block will be redeveloped very soon.

This is a new graffiti tag we discovered around the corner from our rented apartment in Calle 29 with Carrera 16A. I love the subtle stencil background.

This long mural is in Carrera 17, just around the corner with the north side of Calle 26. On weekdays the gate is always open as it is a storage yard for vehicles. To get this shot you have to come at lunchtime or on Sundays.

The left section of the mural on Carrera 17. There’s a boy riding the the fantasy bird; he’s holding the end of the string, which the woman unwinds.

The right part of the street art mural on Carrera 17

Or, if you are really interested in street art, you could hire a car with a driver and a knowledgeable guide to drive you around the outer suburbs of Bogotá. With the right people it should be worth it! We joined a bicycle tour, that gets you out of the main centre and to Avenida 26 (more in our next post). A Sunday or pubic holiday might be the best choice for such a trip, as there will be less parked vehicles blocking murals. It should be a more relaxing trip too.

Whichever way you chose to see Bogotá’s street art, on foot or with a tour, it will be memorable experience for anybody who appreciates this form of public art.

If your into street art Bogota is THE destination! Just don’t ever expect to see all the murals – impossible! By the time you’d be finished at one end of the city there will be new pieces at the other end (or in between). :D

Street art has always fascinated me. It is so representative of a place, its culture, its people, its angst and the times. The street art in Bogota looks so vibrant and colourful. A silent ode to so many known and unknown artists who have poured their creative souls into these works of art.

Last time I was in Bogotá (2015) I took some cool pictures of Street Art. It is great to know that Street Art is evolving in Colombia, that it is now de-criminalised (I did not know this . . ) and that citizens and visitors have more choice of new murals and areas to explore. I agree with you that a tour could be a great way to explore Street Art in Bogotá.

Street art defines the character of a city so I believe! And the walls of Bogota has conveyed wonderful messages.
This is an ideal theme for photo shoot. Hope I get a chance to photograph them some day.

The street art in Bogota looks amazing ! I do not understand why certain countries have criminalized street art, it brings out such lovely colours in the place, totally enhancing the mood, at least that’s how I personally feel! I love the purple hues in the street art, in your first few pictures. I have seen a lot of street art in Georgetown (Penang, Malaysia) and I wish there was street art here in Dubai too but from what I know, it’s illegal. What a pity!

It took a number of unjust deaths of street artist in Bogota, and a lot of loud and expressive protests, to decriminalise street art in Colombia. As it stands now it’s not legal to spray or paint any wall unless you have the permission from the building’s owner = a fair compromise!

I loved the street art in Bogota! I saw plenty when we were driving around – I love that leopard you have the photo of – we didn’t stop for photos there though. I took the Bogota Graffiti tour in the Candelaria and that was fascinating to learn more about the history of street art in Bogota.

Stay Healthy & Harvest your ideas – what a beautiful message to paint on the city walls. It seems Bogota is full of street art. I believe this kind of artworks keeps the city alive – they make the whole city an art gallery. Beautiful Post.

I love searching for street art during my travels. Bogota looks like its creative pulse is strong. I agree that learning more about how a city’s politics shape it’s culture gives you a deeper understanding.

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Meet Yasha and Juergen. Our travel blog is atypical because we travel differently, not flying from one dream destination to the next. Our choice instead: to take it slowly, take side roads, discover places aside from the typical "bucket list" and guidebook highlights. We drive and live in our self-built overland camper, called "Berta". You can read more on our "About Us" page.

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